Embarking on my first encounter with modernist literature, I seek advice on reading and understanding this monumental book. How can I navigate its complexities and gain a comprehensive grasp on the first attempt? Are there articles providing additional context to deepen my understanding? Grateful for any insights or recommendations to ensure a meaningful exploration of this significant piece of literature. Thank you!
by thepes
5 Comments
It’s a challenge. I found reading it out loud helped. Get an audiobook for helping you get through it.
I’ve actually [written two](https://walrod.substack.com/p/ulysses-at-100) [articles](https://walrod.substack.com/p/odysseys) about *Ulysses* that you might find helpful, or at least interesting. Tried to put it in context and pique the interest of potential readers, as well as reflecting on the relationship between the novel and its city.
Would highly recommend reading *Dubliners* first, then *A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man*, to which *Ulysses* is a direct sequel. Also, reading alongside a translation of Homer’s *Odyssey*.
As for a guide, I’d recommend *The Guide to James Joyce’s Ulysses* by Patrick Hastings.
An annotated edition is a must have for *Ulysses*. There is [an online version](http://m.joyceproject.com/) if that is helpful.
I would also recommend reading a companion book to help understand the story (I used *The New Bloomsday Book* by Harry Blamires).
There are readers guides to Ulysses out there, even on Amazon. I wish I’d had one when I read it, but I was surrounded by English majors at the time. Go for it, much is quite enjoyable. It helps if you are familiar with the Odyssey.
It’s a heavy novel, literally and figuratively! I wish you the best of luck with it.
I would say you need a solid background on the Odyssey, an idea of what life was like in Dublin at the time and a sense of how Joyce uses language to get the most out of it. If you read The Odyssey, Portrait of the Artist, and some Wikipedia articles on Irish history, I’d wager you’ll be locked and loaded.